Pulmonology

Pulmonology is the subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with
diseases of the lungs and bronchial tubes, which often involves
evaluation of the upper respiratory tract (nose, pharynx and throat)
as well as the heart.

Pulmonologists must first complete seven or more years of medical
school and postgraduate training and become board certified in
Internal Medicine. Then, for an additional two to three years, they
study conditions specific to the respiratory system.

What pulmonologists do

Pulmonologists are specially trained in diseases and conditions of
the chest, such as pneumonia, asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, or
complicated chest infections.

When you need a pulmonologist

Not everyone who suffers from an acute respiratory condition or
chronic respiratory diseases needs a pulmonologist. Many of these
conditions can be managed by a general internist. Their skills are
usually needed for patients with complex pulmonary problems, such as
emphysema, tuberculosis, asthma, complicated infections of the chest,
the pulmonary complications of AIDS, injury, and complications of
respiratory diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Does a pulmonologist perform surgery?

Major surgical procedures are performed by a thoracic surgeon. Yet
pulmonologists often perform specialized procedures to obtain samples
of the lining of the chest wall or of the lung itself. For example,
they use flexible fiber optics to see inside the air passages and
extract sample pieces for study. They also perform angiographic
visualization -- injecting dye into the pulmonary arteries to view the
blood vessels in the lungs.

Download Brochures

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